Williams, Arizona, was promoted as the “Gateway to the Grand Canyon.”
The town lies on historic Route 66 and became an important base for visitors traveling north to Grand Canyon National Park. Its location on the railroad and highway helped make it a transportation and tourism center in northern Arizona.
Williams is also notable because it was the last town on Route 66 to be bypassed by Interstate 40. The interstate opened around the town in 1984, shortly before Route 66 was officially decommissioned, helping preserve Williams’s identity as a historic highway destination.
Flagstaff is another major Route 66 city with strong Grand Canyon connections, but the “Gateway to the Grand Canyon” promotional identity is especially associated with Williams. Holbrook and Kingman represent different parts of Arizona’s Route 66 corridor.